UK slammed in Quality of Life report

The UK has been named and shamed as the worst place to live in Europe, with high costs, bad work/life balance and low government spending cited as chief offenders.

The verdict has been delivered by the latest uSwitch Quality of Life index, a yearly examination of life in ten European cities. This year, France was found to be the best place to live in Europe, with Spain and the Netherlands following.

The Quality of Life index rates cities based on ten factors such as the cost of everyday goods, VAT, net income, working hours, life expectancy and also things such as holiday time and weather.

Despite UK citizens having higher than average pay, a number of other factors are negating the favourable wages, namely long working hours and expensive overall costs. As a result of this it appears that many Brits are actively seeking a getaway, with 46 percent of the British respondents admitted that they are thinking about moving abroad.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch, said: “The UK is now officially at the bottom of the pile. We may still be enjoying the fourth highest household income in Europe, but the high cost of living means that we’re living to work. It’s not surprising that one in ten of us have seriously contemplated starting a new life abroad. But for those of us who decide to stick it out and ride the storm, there will be no choice but to batten down the hatches. Cutting back where possible to help combat our high living costs will go some way to improving our quality of life. This may be the only way to steer through these turbulent times until we reach a point where we can start to see our quality of life improve.”